The Arbuturian rides The Dartmoor Derby and finds the Sierra Nevada in deepest Devon

“Dartmoor is the kind of place that bites you in the arse,” says Jules matter-of-factly over dinner at the Arundell Arms – a country sports hotel where your gundog can sit on the sofa without anyone batting an eyelid. “Getting lost here is a serious problem,” she warns ominously. Jules is a guide for the Dartmoor Derby, the latest long-distance riding challenge from boutique riding holiday specialists, Liberty Trails. A challenge which, despite her less-than-reassuring introduction, I’m set to undertake in the morning.

Her admonitions don’t seem to have much effect on the other riders either. The atmosphere at the Arundell Arms is one of boisterous excitement. Most of the conversation revolves around old saddle stories, with the tales become increasingly outrageous as the night goes on. One thing is for certain, none of the riders here are beginners. In our group alone we have a hunt master with 11 seasons under her belt and a horseback safari enthusiast whose last trip involved being kicked by a giraffe in Botswana. The neighbouring table full of Americans turns out to be an endurance team who have flown in from the US especially. Clearly novices need not apply.

The next morning, however, is a more subdued affair as the nerves kick in. At 9am sharp we file out the door, whips and hats in hand to go meet our guides and our horses. Guides for the derby come in various guises: some are local hunt masters decked in their smart A Hume tweeds, others are locals who have grown up in the saddle and call the moor home. Ours was the latter. Phil Heard, who runs Meldon Farm with his wife Mandi, is Dartmoor’s answer to Crocodile Dundee. Decked out in a white cowboy hat and full leather chaps, his knowledge of the moor is second to none.

Nor are his expertise when it comes to picking horses. Phil’s collection of beautiful bays were all faultless. Some were old hands at navigating the moor’s treacherous terrain, others new to the challenge, but all were perfectly forward going with soft mouths. My horse, a handsome five-year-old named Hunter, had only been over from Ireland for three weeks. “He hasn’t found his fifth leg yet – his Dartmoor leg,” explains Phil, yet he sails over ditches without a moment’s hesitation.

While Hunter is the kind of horse who makes everything feel comfortable, this is not an easy ride. 25 miles across Dartmoor is the equivalent of double that distance on any other country, and four of our horses lose shoes to the thick, oppressive peat. The landscape here is rocky, rugged, sparse – and then there’s the bog to contend with. Crossing it is tricky. Over one patch the horse in front of me stumbles and begins to sink. Lurching it sinks further, until its legs completely disappear into the bog below. We hold our breaths in tense silence. Finally, it clambers out with its rider still aboard, safe but stunned. The message rings loud and clear: Dartmoor is dangerous.

But on a crisp day like this, it’s hard to believe that it could possibly have a sinister side. Dartmoor is stunning in the very truest sense of the word. Every corner we turn brings a new sight to astound us, from rocky outreaches to picturesque babbling brooks, hillsides turned sunny yellow by the thickets of gorse to miles upon miles of purple heather. We canter alongside the moor’s resident wild ponies, a moving patchwork of bays, greys and roans that disappears over the hill’s horizon. Birds of prey circle in the sky above us, floating against the startlingly blue sky.

Yet there are moments when the moor feels ominous. We ride past a collection of eerie stone fertility circles, smaller yet older than their more famous equivalent at Stone Henge. Phil tells us that when the fog comes down the horses refuse to walk through them, their animalistic sixth sense registering what their riders fail to see. We ride pass abandoned powder mills and the ruins of roofless houses, trotting down a bridle path that emerges out onto a grave buried in the middle of the crossroads. This is Jay’s Grave, the nineteenth-century burial mound of a local girl who committed suicide to avoid the shame of falling pregnant outside of marriage. Always adorned with fresh flowers, no one is quite sure who still tends to it.

After our first hard day’s ride, we arrive at the picturesque farm which will be home for the night. Hay bales around an open fire provide a rustic setting for afternoon tea, while a collection of luxurious hilltop Mongolian yurts with views stretching across the valley below are our accommodation. There’s also, miraculously, hot water showers on offer, confirming that this is by no means your average glamping experience. Later we reconvene in the warmth of cosy dining tent, where a feast made from only the very best local Devonshire produce is served. After dinner, we stumble back up the hill to our yurts to collapse, exhausted, onto our comfy mattresses.

As luxurious as the camping is, after two days in the saddle our final stop – Bovey Castle – is a welcome sight. Waiting for you at the end of an impressively long and winding drive through its verdant golf course, Bovey Castle is undeniably luxurious. Suites here have views across Dartmoor National Park, so that you can soak those tired muscles in your freestanding bath overlooking the terrain you have just conquered. There’s also a tranquil ESPA spa downstairs for those in need of soothing hands, as well as plenty of quiet, oak-panelled rooms in which you can curl up in front of the fire and reflect on your recent achievement.

Not that you’ll have a moment to spare staying here – there’s so much going on that you’ll struggle to fit it all in. We rush to collect the morning’s eggs from the rescued battery hens, watch the daily falconry display featuring Rosie the American Bald Eagle who “will try to kill you” according to her handler, and play with the resident ferrets (an activity admittedly geared towards kids that we insist on joining) all before leaving the next morning.

On our way back to the station we drive the last time across the moor, weaving our way through its overgrown lanes. A Porsche whizzes round the corner towards us and, confronted with our 4×4, instantly stops in its tracks. We tuck into the hedgerow, and an intricate dance of inching and pausing commences. Grumbling behind the wheel, the Porsche driver insists he cannot pass. Another driver joins the fray – a local, we guess, from the way the grandfather in the passenger seat shakes his head at the scene before him.

It’s another ten minutes before the Porsche finally passes through, wing mirrors tucked in, face scowling. The car behind pulls up next to us and winds down its window. ‘Tourists!’ moans the woman behind the wheel, “No idea how to cope on the Moor.’ And together, we laugh.

The Dartmoor Derby will nest take place September 2016, with limited spaces for riders. Prices start from £1250. Visit liberty-trails.com/dartmoor-derby for more information.

From Facebook…

JUST THREE MONTHS TO GO UNTIL OUR WONDERFUL RIDE WITH MARY KING!Three months today our guests will gather at the wonderful Bovey Castle hotel to join Mary King MBE ahead of three nights and two glorious full days of riding on Dartmoor.Exploring in company with one of eventing's best loved legends, led by expert local guides with full ground crew support, riders will tackle each full day in the saddle with a stop for lunch at a stunning beauty spot.While horses stretch, graze, drink and roll, you eat, drink and relax before mounting up again for the afternoon's ride.Before dinner there is time for a swim in Bovey's pool, a few holes of golf or a visit to the spa before a lovely long bath and pre-dinner drinks..We've just two spaces remaining on this very special ride. For more details visit liberty-trails.com/horse-riding-experiences/ride-dartmoor-mary-king-mbe-experience/... See MoreSee Less

IT'S A GOOD JOB THEY'RE TOUGH ON DARTMOOR...There's a reason the British Army trains on Dartmoor so much —you soon see who's got grit and who hasn't.Most people who live on Dartmoor have plenty of determination, coupled with a deep attachment to the place, because at times like this you wouldn't last without it! Sheep have to be fed, horses mucked out and given some sort of exercise. Water must be fetched from the house when all the outdoor taps are frozen. Gloves have to come off to fiddle with tack and buckles.You have to think hard about what kind of vehicle will get down the roads.. and so it goes on.But because Dartmoor has farmers, horse owners and others who are tough enough to cope with the weather like today's (and stills don't show the howling gales that come with it) there are fabulous horses to hire and enjoy in the spring and summer on Dartmoor - for which we are all so grateful!We salute you then those of you who manage stock, farms, horses and more. It's a flipping tough job sometimes!Find out more about our trips at www.liberty-trails.com... See MoreSee Less

SIX MONTHS TODAY...Liberty Trails will welcome guests to our THIRD The Dartmoor Derby. It's our biggest single event of the year, with up to 40 guests total tackling 50 miles across Dartmoor in small guided teams with full ground support.Specially built for the Derby is a luxury camp in the heart of the moors, with fabulous accommodation for riders and horses alike and THE most wonderful regional food served in our dining yurt.. These pictures give you some flavour of it. But for the rest of the year Liberty Trails focuses its energies on organising bespoke riding trips for one party at a time on Dartmoor tackling whatever length of ride you wish, from a range of different accommodation options, on your horse or one of ours. So whether it's a family break, some girl time with horses, a solo trip away from the hurly burly of day to day life, or a truly different way to celebrate an important milestone, come and see what we do! Most of all we love sharing the sensation that is Dartmoor and seeing our guests leave SMILING from ear to ear...Find out more at www.dartmoorderby.com or www.liberty-trails.com or email enquiries@liberty-trails.comOfficial kit partner ToggiPhotos by Liberty Trails/ Hamish Mitchell and Polly A Baldwin ... See MoreSee Less

THANK YOU SARA COX FOR YOUR LOVELY WORDS.....about your experience of riding with Liberty Trails in our The Dartmoor Derby, in your lovely interview for Country Living this month."I still love riding, especially in Devon..I've done the Dartmoor Derby twice and I'm hoping to do it again. It's sort of like an endurance riding, but a really lovely one...," says Sara. "We hire beautiful horses and embark on three full days of riding, with glamping overnight. There's plenty of delicious local food and drink too..." Sara is a very keen and accomplished rider, and besides being pretty glam on camera she's also down to earth, fit, practical and a brilliant riding companion (what else would you expect from a farmer's daughter?) DID YOU KNOW that Sara is accompanying a very special one off weekend ride run by Liberty Trails this spring based from the lovely, five-star Bovey Castle hotel? Why not come and ride with her yourself? For details email enquiries@liberty-trails.com and visit www.liberty-trails.comPhotos LIberty Trails/ Hamish Mitchell ... See MoreSee Less

COLD TODAY... BUT SUCH A WARM WELCOME AWAITS YOU IN 2018!The moors may be chilly today but our phones are red hot as we hit the height of the planning and booking season for our luxury guided rides on Dartmoor. Whether you want to bring a party of friends for some "you time", want an unforgettable trip away with one very special person; want to bring your own horses or rent one of ours; you may be celebrating a big birthday, or you might be tempted to join one of our celebrity ride hosts such as Mary King MBE or the lovely Sara Cox from BBC TV, we have the ride for you...Not without reason do we have a full card of five-star reviews. Perfection is our goal, every time.. and we're blessed to have the most stunningly perfect riding area in the world in Dartmoor.Find out more at www.liberty-trails.com... See MoreSee Less

Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to experience the magic of Dartmoor; you've created memories that we will keep forever. You have shared Dartmoor's unique beauty and your knowledge and kindness have exposed us to a fantastic riding experience. The horses you provided were absolutely beautiful and were a pleasure to ride. You have enabled us to enjoy a breathtaking experience that we can only hope to revisit in the future.

Chrissy, Lin, Jane and Glen, Gloucestershire

Thanks to all for a great couple of days riding, great horses, people and organisation and of course the weather was perfect. Not sitting on a horse until Friday so hopefully the bits that matter will have recovered by then. I fancy some cattle mustering next year and will definitely be back.

Clive Edwards, Leicestershire

Thank you all for a fantastic weekend. Not only did we enjoy our riding adventure but the horses seemed to thoroughly enjoy the peace and quiet of your yards. The dawn- break ride was inspired and one we always remember. Special thanks to Bob for the hearty breakfasts.